The embodiments herein relate generally to tool for implanting and transplanting hair.
The eyelash is a hair follicle extending from the eyelid. A portion of the eyelash beneath the skin on the eyelid is near the glands of Zeis and Moll's gland. In some cases, the eyelashes fall out in conditions such as Madarosis. Prior to embodiments of the disclosed invention, replacing eyelashes lacked a simple solution because there was no good device to create a slit into which a follicle could be inserted. While there is no directly analogous technology, some other efforts in the field of hair grafting include: WIPO Publication 2010/131270 filed by Nobbio; U.S. Patent application pre grant publication 2004/0092924 filed by Vasa; U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,709 issued to Fawzi; U.S. Pat. No. 8,876,847 issued to Umar; U.S. Patent application pre grant publication 2005/0049622 filed by Mittelstaeot; U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,755 issued to Abrahan; U.S. patent application pre grant publication 2011/0251602 filed by Anderson; WIPO Publication 2003/070088 filed by Tschakaloff; U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,054 issued to Arnold; U.S. Pat. No. 9,017,343 issued to Westerling; U.S. Pat. No. 8,211,116 issued to Oostman; U.S. Pat. No. 8,343,075 issued to Freeman; Great Brian Patent 2,228,872 issued to Tatsya, and WIPO Publication 2005/122721 filed by Evans.
Evans teaches an instrument for performing a surgical technique that uses a helical applicator in one embodiment which is shown to the right. The dimensions provided for Evans, where L-29 is two to five inches, is much too large for inserting hair.
Nobbio teaches an instrument for puncturing the skin for hair transplant operations. Nobio has a handle attached to a rotating tube that rotates about a central axis of the tube. The tube has a series of sharp tips that puncture the skin when rotated. The rotation is about a single axis and is not helical. Nobio nonetheless concludes that the tool could be used for eyebrow. Anderson, in one embodiment, uses a similar roller arrangement, but argues that other kinds of blade arrangements can be more effective.
Vasa teaches a tool that is useful both for extracting and transplanting hair. Vasa's tool has a tube with an opening in the front above a blade such that the blade can cut a slit around the hair to remove the hair through the opening. Umar teaches the distal edges of the cutting tool opening from one another without a central opening as in Vasa. Umar teaches a helical textured region, but not a helical cutting path. Freeman uses a helical tube that moves parallel to the lancet to hold the slit open.
Fawzi teaches a hair removal tool that has a cutting member with edges which concentrically collapse upon them self or by movement of a distal edge on the tool. Mittelstaet teaches a plurality of blades extending through the tool. Arnold has a single blade and recommends it be inserted deeper than the others. Westerling advocates for a non-circular tip similar to Fawzi. Oostman is similar but uses concave edges on its tip. Tatsya uses concentric cutting surfaces that telescope from one another.
Abrahan teaches a linkage device for removing portions of skin, but offers no real theory about applicability to hair. Tschakaloff teaches manipulating and sewing skin into place to lift eyebrows, but is more interested with manipulating skin than removing hair.